Three file for city council positions, mayor’s spot

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press

During the first week of open election filings for two positions on the Copperas Cove city council and the mayor's position, three individuals have stepped up.

Azeita Taylor has filed for city council place 1, currently occupied by Cheryl Meredith. Taylor is the marketing director for Chick-fil-A Copperas Cove and is also the owner of Taylor Photography. She has lived in Copperas Cove for eight years with her husband, James, a medically retired senior Army NCO. They have seven children, one grandson and one grandchild on the way. This is Taylor's third time running for city council. She has held several positions on city advisory boards including the Charter Review Committee, the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Hotel Occupancy Tax Committee and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. She currently sits as an alternate member of the Citizen's Focus Group.

Taylor is a current member of both the Friends of the Library and the Ladies Auxiliary of VFW Post 8577, and is a member of the Five Hills Art Guild. She is the current co-director of the Rabbit Fest Pageant. Taylor has also been a non-denominational Christian minister for over a decade and assisted in forming a 200+ member church before moving to Central Texas in June 2007. Taylor currently attends United Faith Church.

James Pierce Jr. has filed for the city council place 2 position, currently occupied by Mark Peterson.

Pierce has lived with his wife, Anne, and their three daughters, in Copperas Cove since August 2008. Since his retirement as a Sergeant First Class from the United States Army after 24 years, 10 months of active service in 2012, Pierce has operated a Kitchen Tune-Up franchise in Copperas Cove. Pierce has a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Maryland University College Park.

He is currently the interim chairman of Copperas Cove Parks Advisory Board, and is a coach for Copperas Cove Parks and Recreation 12U Softball from 2011-Present, and serves on the board of the Cove American Little League as its safety officer. He is the head usher at Victory Baptist Church.

Gary Kent has filed to run for the position of mayor. Kent, who has sat in city council place 3 for his current term since November 2013, also tendered his resignation for that city council seat. His resignation will be presented to the city council at its Aug. 4 meeting. Kent's successor for place three would complete the rest of that place's term, which runs through November 2016. Kent, retired from the United States Army since 2009, is currently also the chief of police for the city of Nolanville, a position he has held since 2010.